The Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Childcare, the National AIDS Council and people living positively with HIV/ AIDS, has launched a booklet designed to create awareness on taking antiretroviral drugs and the management of HIV/AIDS.

The Literacy Manual, among many issues, highlights methods of taking antiretroviral drugs, dangers of abandoning them and the general management of HIV/AIDS.

Some people living with HIV/AIDS told Studio 7 they expect to get simple guidelines from the manual on managing their health conditions.

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One of the people living with HIV, Angela Chiwetani of Widows Foundation of Life, said she hopes to get a lot of information on taking ARVs.

“The manual will help those living positively like me to work closely with our nurses and doctors on issues of side effects. A lot of people just take medication but have limited information about the ARV medication.”

Stanley Takaona, who is also living positively with HIV and heads the Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Activist Union Community Trust, said there are some people that were fast-tracked into taking ARVs.

Takaona said the manual will, therefore, come in handy for such people.

“There is a gap with some people who have been rushed into treatment especially health workers. We have some of them who do not go through the process of adherence and counselling and some high level-people are fast-tracked to get on medication. We have to reach these people that have been fast-tracked into the system.”

Dr. Tsitsi Mutasa Apollo of the Ministry of Health and Childcare said they collaborated with the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV to come out with the manual in order to create HIV/AIDS awareness and proper ways of taking ARVs.

Writers of the manual acknowledge the ever-changing nature of HIV/AIDS management information and have recommended that the booklet should be updated at least every two years to keep up with international guidelines on tackling HIV/AIDS.